Weekly Love: Week 137
Maybe because I’m a writer, while I love reading I mostly find it hard to truly switch off my brain to the point where I can really relax with a book. I think this is why I watch so many (mostly American) television shows, and I’m usually blabbing about my latest find in my Weekly Love posts. While I’m excited that my favourite shows like Scandal are back, I’m also happy its September because it means new shows hitting our screens. I’ve rather enjoyed the first couple of episodes of Forever. Okay, so it is nothing original; House M.D. meets Elementary meets whatever show I don’t watch with immortality in, but it has a good story, we can already see strong characters and I was sure I loved it after the first episode. I’ve also started Madam Secretary, which I’m not sure about. Does anyone else think it is like a weaker version of The West Wing?
1. Post-flight tapas on the streets of Logroño City, Rioja with Campo Viejo. | 2. Pretty much my standard Autumn outfit right now: Rag & Bone Harrow Boots, Levi Skinny Jeans, Boden Everyday Jumper & a perfect fit petite Banana Republic trench. | 3. Jeff Koon’s ‘Flower Dog’ outside the Guggenheim in Bilbao. | 4. Afternoon tapas and local white in San Sebastián, Rioja. | 5. La Concha beach in San Sebastián. | 6. I never understood vintage wines until we opened a 1964 bottle of Campo Viejo after dinner at Rekondo. Words don’t really describe, but it was so unique, such an amazing experience, and has officially turned me into a real wine nut.
- Food 52 has put together a brilliant primer on different types of yogurt, including Icelandic Skyr. They also school us on the different types of Soy Sauce, and when to use them in cooking.
- How to test if baking powder, baking soda or bicarbonate soda is expired.
- Bri has put together a lovely little ‘life lessons’ list with some fantastic tips we should all live by. Also, her California road trip photos remind me why I’m head over heels for the Golden State.
- This Wikipedia page is fascinating if you’re at all interested in old American coinage.
- An adorable four year old reviewing The French Laundry is why I love the internet. (via Joy) The Bold Italic also posted some of the most outrageous comments on that post, too.
- I Went From Grad School To Prison. (also via Joy)
- The TIG has posted a great mini-guide to Tulum, Mexico.
- In August Chris headed to Torshavn on the Faroe Islands to sample the local cuisine. As well as being a brilliant article, I want to call it the unofficial extra instalment of my Summer adventures around Norway, Iceland and Orkney. I was actually set to visit but a storm got in the way!
- A wonderfully comprehensive guide to building the perfect home bar cart.
- Okay, so who now is excited for the Camille Styles book to come out?
- Ed Smith sits down with Sourced Market, my fave place to grab a bite when I’m at St. Pancras.
- Sophie has put together a food roundup from her amazing American South honeymoon. She’s also posted her photo diary from Charleston, South Carolina. I really, really want to go now!
- I love this stunning L.A. backyard makeover.
- The A-Z of lost British ingredients.
I’m one of the judges on The Great Denby Cake Off at the moment, where you can enter to win all sorts of great prizes including some lovely bakeware and an £500 Denby gift voucher just for blogging about cake. The competition runs until midnight on 31st October, and is open to my American readers too. Click through here to the Denby website for more information, and to enter. I can’t wait to read and judge all your entries!
For the second instalment of my new column over at Borough Market, sharing recipes and tips for people who are space and equipment poor (great for people who live in London or other space short cities!) I’ve shared my recipe for a No-knead Rosemary Loaf that you need very little counter space and no specialist equipment to make. Okay, so it may not be as pretty as a perfectly shaped loaf, but it still tastes amazing. Click through to the Borough Market Blog for the recipe.
7. Bento boxes and gyoza at Tamago in Canterbury. | 8. I’m working on a review of the Honey & Co. book at the moment, and the rose and cinnamon infusion from it (served in the brilliant infusion mug the guys at JING gave me) is simply divine. | 9. A flawless, gooey in the middle tortilla with chorizo, spinach and pimiento at La Tavina in Logroño. | 10. I’ve been reading Memory Keepers by my amazingly talented friend Natasha on the train over the last few weeks. If you like futuristic, novels I really recommend you give it a try. | 11. Carpaccio of red shrimp with guacamole, strawberries, raspberry, pomegranate and black olive sand as part of a 6 course tasting menu at Rekondo in San Sebastián. | 12. Divine brioche bread pudding at Salt. in Canterbury. Full review coming soon!
- I was absolutely blown away by Sophie’s Nashville photo diary from her honeymoon. It has made me want to visit the city more, if that was even possible!
- I have so much love for A Beautiful Mess’ finished office space.
- Leeds? You need to know about Trestle’s pop up dining experience.
- PUNCH have published a fascinating piece on the universal language of toasting around the world. They’ve also published a really interesting piece about the decline of doing shots of straight Grand Marnier in Charleston, and the history of this practice in the first place.
- Bill Cunningham thinks the fashion industry is due for a massive change, and I agree with him.
- Claire’s latest post on the Hotel Cipriani in Venice is simply stunning.
- One of the best written blogs I read, Brag & Butter has posted a brilliant piece about his end of Summer holiday. There are stunning photos, a great salad recipe and some foodie book reviews.
- Rose blogs about Lanes of London, a restaurant I adore (try their giant Jammy Dodgers for dessert, they are to die for!) but have never managed to take good photos in to review. She also travels to Morocco, and has written a great insight into the Jemaa el Fnaa main square.
- Fiona’s post on Blogstock has some brilliant blogging tips in.
- I think we should all make our own DIY indoor swings.
- My friend Izy sits down with Food 52 to talk about her new cookbook, which is amazing, btw.
- Okay, so did you know that you can actually eat pumpkin leaves?
- Bon Appetite’s piece on what their recipe editor actually does for the magazine is fascinating.
- HonestlyYUM has put together great travel guides to Seville and Barcelona. Because what this blog really needs this week is more fantastic Spanish food!
Before I moved to America I used to have a fair few beauty box subscriptions, but because none of them were that different from each other, I could not decide which one to maintain when I was back home after 10 months, so I opted not to receive one at all. Enter stage right My Little Box, the new (well, to the UK) monthly subscription box from the ladies behind Parisian newsletter service My Little Paris. Each monthly box is themed around a different style (London, Travel etc., I got the My Little Arty Box) and contains a mix of beauty and lifestyle products from both cult French brands, and their own (pretty awesome and cute, I can’t wait to get my hands on one of their adorably packaged lipsticks) makeup line. You also get a blogger magazine put together by some of our favourite faces. Each box costs £14.95 a month (a bit more than average, but you get a lot more for your money) and you can quit at any time. You can subscribe here on their website, and check out their past boxes here. Enjoy!
What have you been enjoying this week, and what do you have planned for the weekend? As ever, I’m having a chilled weekend in Kent, but I’m taking time to catch up with my best friend Kathryn over lunch tomorrow as we have not seen each other in a while.
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